Reynolds and Reynolds Foundation sponsors first student-operated café at Wright State University

Wright State and the Reynolds and Reynolds Foundation will celebrate the opening of the ReyRey Café in Rike Hall with a grand opening ceremony at 2 p.m. on Dec. 2.

The first student-operated café at Wright State University will be celebrated with a grand opening ceremony at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 2.

Sponsored by the Reynolds and Reynolds Foundation, ReyRey Café is housed in Rike Hall, home of the Raj Soin College of Business.

“ReyRey Café is an innovative partnership created by the Raj Soin College of Business with the generous support of Reynolds and Reynolds and Wright State University to promote student entrepreneurship,” said Joanne Li, dean of the Raj Soin College of Business. “The café is run by the students for the students.”

ReyRey Café goes above and beyond merely using students as café baristas, Li said.

“It is an enterprise created with the goal of allowing students to ‘own a business’ and practice what they learn from the classroom,” she said.

Starting in spring 2016, students will take over management of the café, holding such key roles as CEO, CMO, CFO and COO.

“They will be able to do what entrepreneurs do in their businesses, such as accounting ratio analysis, financial projections, sales forecasts, market analysis, data analytics and human resources management,” Li said.

Proceeds from ReyRey Café will be directed to a student scholarship fund.

“Our student entrepreneurs learn to give back to the community, giving their operation a much bigger meaning,” Li said. “There is no bigger statement than ReyRey Café to showcase the Raj Soin College of Business’s commitment to student success and real-life learning.”

Starting in spring 2016, students will begin managing the ReyRey Café, holding such key roles as CEO, CMO, CFO and COO.

ReyRey Café is made possible thanks to a $340,000 gift from the Reynolds and Reynolds Foundation. Reynolds previously donated $50,000 to establish the Reynolds Espresso Lane Coffee Pit Stop in the Russ Engineering Center, which opened in March 2015.

“This new café symbolizes the type of vision and entrepreneurial spirit so critical to success in any business. To continually push the boundaries of how students learn and experience what they learn is one more attribute that helps distinguish the Raj Soin College of Business at Wright State and the entire university,” said Ron Lamb, president of Reynolds and Reynolds. “It’s a privilege for all of us at Reynolds to be involved in such a unique addition to the environment where students interact and learn.”

One of Wright State’s strongest corporate supporters, Reynolds and Reynolds has been partnering with the university since 1975. To date, they have contributed more than $1.6 million to the university, including $740,000 for the Reynolds and Reynolds Leadership Scholars program, a scholarship initiative that attracts top students to Wright State’s programs in engineering and computer science.

Since 2008, Reynolds and Reynolds has provided more than 100 internships to Wright State students. The company currently employs over 200 Wright State graduates. Several top leaders from Reynolds and Reynolds also serve on advisory boards at Wright State.

Reynolds and Reynolds’ support extends beyond Dayton to Wright State’s Lake Campus in Celina, where the company provides scholarships to Lake Campus students and offers student internships at its Celina location. The company has also established the Reynolds and Reynolds Computer Center at the Lake Campus. Reynolds personnel have served on the Western Ohio Educational Foundation Board for the last five decades.

“Reynolds and Reynolds is one of our most dedicated corporate partners and a leading supporter of Rise. Shine. The Campaign for Wright State University,” says David R. Hopkins, president of Wright State University. “We are incredibly grateful for their ongoing support and their continued commitment to the success of our students.”

Wright State is engaged in a $150 million fundraising campaign that promises to further elevate the school’s prominence by expanding scholarships, attracting more top-flight faculty and supporting construction of state-of-the-art facilities. Led by Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks and Amanda Wright Lane, great grandniece of university namesakes Wilbur and Orville Wright, the campaign has raised more than $122 million so far.

To learn more about the Rise. Shine. Campaign, visit rise.shine.wright.edu.

For more information on Reynolds and Reynolds, see reyrey.com.